Swedish Cottage

West Drive around 79th Street

The Swedish Cottage was a schoolhouse built for the 1876 Centennial
Exposition in Philadelphia as an example of Swedish building design.
Following the Exposition, park designer Frederick Law Olmsted convinced
the city to purchase the building and move it to the park. The cottage
served as a tool shed and, later, a comfort station before being remodeled as an
entomological laboratory. In 1947 the building was redesigned
as the home for a traveling marionette company that Parks Commissioner Robert
Moses had originally formed in 1939 to perform in playgrounds and local schools.
A complete renovation was completed on May 1, 1998, with restoration
of the original second floor, seating for 100 patrons, air
conditioning and a technically-advanced stage.
(References:
CentralPark.com,
Historic House Trust)